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Standards
There is no clear agreement on the definition of the term learning disabilities.
In the absence of agreement, there is no standard by which the term is defined or measured. Thus, terms change and the meanings of terms are not always clear.
For example, in 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH).(6)
In 1997, WHO proposed changing the current definition to the International Classification of Impairments, Activities, and Participation (ICIDH-2).(7) This change will be submitted for final approval in 2000.
Will the terms activities and participation mean the same thing to readers as disabilities and handicaps?
The WHO does not appear to have any information relating specifically to learning disabilities on its website, yet the NIH does.
Similarly, Encyclopedia Britannica Online has no specific category for learning disabilities. The reader is directed to two separate categories: Special Education and Autism.(8)
The Sierra Reference Encyclopedia, on CD, has a simple, yet comprehensive, section on learning disabilities - which seems to concur with the more recent studies and reports on the subject(9). [Next]
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